Changing your mindset: How to really get the most out of your sleeve in the long term

So often I have clients say things to me like ‘I know I’m thin but I still see myself as a big person’ or ‘I still haven’t worked out that I can walk through smaller spaces’ or ‘I still go and pick up a size 18, even though I know I’m now a size 12’ or ‘My eyes are so much bigger than my stomach, now’. Sound familiar?

These comments really bring home to me that the brain takes much much longer to adjust than the body. And for some people, this lack of change in their mindset is what can be holding them back from losing as much as they could and keeping it off in the long term.

That’s why I thought I needed to address the mindset of a sleeve and I’m so lucky to have Annette Tonkin, from Mind and Body Consultancy share her tips for you. Annette has spent years working with patients on how to change their mindset, to get the most out of their health, and I really hope you get something out of her tips, too. This is written for those that have had a sleeve, but as equally important to those who are considering it. So handing over to Annette…

Congratulations. You’re on the road to improving your health, fitness and body image. You’ve had the surgery and you have support from your dietitian, family and friends. 

Unfortunately your brain is probably still stuck in the thought and behaviour patterns that it had prior to the surgery.

Your internal chatter, habits and self images will take a bit more work to change. To be honest this is realistic as you have spent many years perfecting the thought patterns and habits you currently have. Your brain is not going to give all this up without a fight.

What images you see of yourself in your brain has a HUGE influence on the decisions you make on a daily, if not hourly basis.

If you keep your old image of being overweight then it is very likely that you will make choices that are congruent with your image.

What does that mean for you? It means that there is every chance you will go back to the behaviours that help create your obesity.

The reason I’m letting you know this fact is because of the enormous importance it has on your future success.

For you to achieve the results you want then you must work as hard on changing the image you see of yourself in your mind as you do on your diet and exercise. This is no mean feat but it can be done.

Here are a few tips on how you can change the image you see of yourself in your brain.

Step 1- Create a Mind Movie

Imagine how you want to look and feel in 3 years time. Get a REALLY clear image of your day as you want it to be. How you get up in the morning. What you’re doing throughout the day and importantly, how you feel. Make this ‘mind movie’ as real as possible. See it, hear what’s going on and feel it as if you’re living it. Don’t worry about the self doubt and negative internal chatter that might be going on.

Step 2- Imprint the brain

Take this mind movie and spend 5 minutes EVERY DAY watching, hearing and feeling it. Go over and over it as if you are living it now. This is the important part of the exercise and repetition is the key.

Your mind might not believe it at first but as you repeat the exercise on a daily basis your brain will start to rewire itself. Just like repetition and practice is needed to build muscle and cardiovascular fitness, your brain needs repetition and time to allow for rewiring and to remove the old images.

Step 3- Notice behaviour changes

This isn’t really another step but what you will find is that as you repeat your mind movie on a daily basis you will notice that the choices you make also start to change. It’s important to notice this as it will give you the motivation to continue.

How does this happen? Well as you go over and over your mind movie of how you want to look and feel your decisions will become congruent with what’s going on in your head. How can you overeat and not exercise when you see yourself as fit, healthy and the weight you want to be.

This is a really important point. If you continue to see yourself as overweight you will make choices that will keep you that way.

As a physio, I saw a number of clients who had had bariatric surgery as they also had joint problems. The ones who were successful worked as hard on their mindset as they did on their diet and exercise.

The ones that failed to keep their weight off were the ones who didn’t work on getting rid of the fat self image they had in their mind. Interestingly they found ways to eat that reinforced the image they had of themselves. They eventually went back to their old weight even after having the surgery. It was very sad to watch.

Visualisation is used in sport and recovering from injury because it works. Your future is created in your mind first. Make sure you’re aware of what’s going on in your mind. It is a very powerful ally but it can also be a destructive foe.

If you need some more ideas to help when your motivation is waining have a look at Annette’s 30 Tips To Overcome A Lack Of Motivation. You can connect with her on Facebook and LinkedIn, too.